Of Soldiers and Singers
by Lubeck07
Summary: AU Link and Zelda. Set in modern day US. Link is an elite super soldier. Zelda is a famous pop singer. One battle will bring the two together. Read Author's Note for more info
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is an AU Zelink Adventure/Romance. To be honest, this is an original piece that was not supposed to be a fan fiction so the characters are likely going to be way out of the ordinary. This is set in modern day USA. Link is an elite super soldier and Zelda is a pop singer. I know it sounds crazy, but hey, stick with it, it could turn out good. Anyway this chapter is just to get some feedback. If people like what they read, then I'll keep writing, if not, well screw it. Next chapter will be a flashback, which will hopefully explain a lot of the back-story.**

**0300 Hours Fort Bragg NC**

Captain Stephen Link was awoken from his light slumber by the unpleasant sound of a cell phone vibrating on a wooden nightstand. He groggily picked up the phone and checked the number.

UNAVALIBLE

"Perfect" he muttered as he answered the call. He'd had these calls before; a mission was waiting for him.

He hung up the phone after he had the information he needed. He quickly dialed his second in command and best friend, Andrew Kafei.

Andrew answered just as groggily as link had earlier. "What the hell Stephen?"

"Mission time Andrew. Alert the men we need to be at the Delta Compound in 1 hour." He said as he started his shower.

"Dude, I'm so kickin' your ass when we get out of the Army. I can't believe I let you rope me into SF."

Link smiled at this comment. Kafei had been saying that since they joined SF 3 and a half years ago. "Yeah, yeah just make it happen buddy."

Kafei grunted and answered "See you in an hour."

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0345 Delta Compound, Fort Bragg, NC

Link looked up from the coffee container as Kafei and the rest of the team entered.

"How's the coffee?" Kafei asked as he shook Link's hand and grabbed a cup.

"Like the humvee out front emptied its transmission fluid into this container." Link answered.

"So better than usual." Kafei said as he poured himself a cup.

Link smiled and took a sip of his coffee. 2 seconds later a door swung open on the other side of the room. LtCol. Harkan emerged with a grave look on his face.

"The shit has royally hit the fan gentlemen. War Room. Now." He ordered then turned around and led the way to the War Room.

The team, which consisted of Link, Kafei, and ten more of the most elite soldiers in the U.S. Army, followed silently into the War Room.

The War Room was home to the most advanced technology on the planet. Super Computers lined the walls and in the center of the room sat a holographic projector, which projected a flat map of the world.

Link smirked slightly. Three and a half years ago, Link would have sworn on his mother's life that such technology only existed in sci-fi movies but the technology in the War Room was only the tip of the iceberg.

Link's eyes immediately moved to a large red blob on the world map over the Atlantic Ocean moving in the general direction of the U.S.

"Sir, what is that?" Link asked seriously.

Harkan smirked at Link. "Observant as always. That, Captain, is the largest group of military aircraft ever assembled. At this point, we only know three things: first, the aircraft all belong to the New Axis. Second, judging from their current flight path, their target is most likely New York City. And third, and most importantly, given the size of this force, our fighters won't be able to stop all of them."

The War Room went silent. 'Another day in the life.' Link thought.

Next Chapter: 2 Months Earlier


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Ok, sorry about the last chapter being so short. This chapter doesn't really push the story forward as much as I'd like but it contains information that will be vital in later chapters. Please review, its what keeps me writing.

**Delta Compound, Ft. Bragg NC, 3 Months Earlier**

"You ready for this Kafei?" Link asked as the doctors inserted IVs in his arms.

"About as ready as I'll ever be. But this really seems like something out of a comic book." He replied as IVs were inserted into his arms as well.

"Well believe it soldiers." LtCol. Harkan began. "If this trial produces the desired results, then you will be the worlds first super soldiers."

"And if it doesn't?" Link asked.

"Then the project will most likely be scrapped. My sources at the pentagon tell me that if everyone in this team isn't at least 5 times stronger and faster than they were before then the Pentagon will pull the funding." Harkan replied seriously.

"Personally I hope this fails sir. There's no telling what the world would be like with super men running around." Link said as he watched the doctors prep the serum for injection into him and the rest of his team.

LtCol. Harkan leaned down closer to Link and spoke so only he could hear. "So do I soldier, this world just isn't ready for that yet."

Link nodded and looked at Kafei and held his fist out. "You going be there when I wake up?" He asked seriously.

Kafei smiled and touched his fist to Link's. "Yeah, who else is going to watch after your crazy ass?"

Link smiled and looked at the rest of his men all prepped for the injection. "And you guys?"

His question was answered with a resounding "HOOAH!"

Link looked at LtCol. Harkan and nodded who, in turn nodded to the head Physician.

Link's serum was administered first on his request. He felt, as the leader of this unit, he should be the first to expose himself to the potential danger of the serum. As Link fell into a deep sleep, the doctors began injecting the serum into the other members of the unit.

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**1 Week Later**

The way the serum worked, or at least what Kafei could understand of how it worked, was to put the user's body into a coma while parts of their DNA were restructured. In the process the body's muscles were rebuilt in a way that would allow the user to move faster, hit harder, and react better than any normal man could. The serum also improved the senses. Everyone had woken up from the slight coma in two days.

Everyone except Link.

It had been a full week since the serum had been administered and Link still hadn't awoken from his coma. The serum had also failed to delivered the desired results. While the men had experienced a sizable increase in abilities, the project had guaranteed a 500% increase in physical and sensory abilities and the men, at least the eleven that had woken up, had only attained about half that. Needless to say, the project had been axed.

Now Kafei, along with the rest of the team, sat waiting in Link's room desperately hoping that he would awaken.

And awaken he did. Almost 1 week to the minute that he fell into the coma, he awakened as if from a long nap.

Kafei didn't know whether to hug his friend or punch him.

The men soon found out that the five extra days had proven rather lucrative for Link. He alone had achieved the guaranteed 500% increase in physical and sensory abilities. However, there had been some side effects. One in particular had stood out to the men.

Link's eyes now had a tendency to change color in certain situations, namely during missions. Link's eyes were normally a hazel-green, but during missions, and other times of stress, they changed from their usual color to a deep, solid blue.

At first the men were a little unnerved by their new blue-eyed CO but after they realized that the only changes in their commander were physical, they actually began to look at Link's blue eyes as a good omen.

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Two days after Link had awoken, the team was treated to another surprise. The X5 armor. The armor was a secret NATO project that had been in the works for years. It was a three-part system of armor that would supposedly protect the wearer from almost anything the enemy could throw at them.

The first part of the system was known as the inner armor, which consisted of a set of trousers and long sleeve shirt made of inch thick, form fitting material. None of the men were ever briefed on the specifics of what the material was but the team was told that this material could absorb the impact of a major explosion and stop all but the highest caliber rounds.

The second component of the armor was the plates. Once again the men were not informed as to the composition of the plates. The plates were lightweight but supposedly could survive a direct hit from an RPG 7. The armor plates were placed on the most vital areas of the body. Armor plates were located around the shin and calves, over the knees, and around the outer thighs. Plates also covered the fore arms, upper arms, and shoulders. Four plates covered the torso, two plates covered the upper back and chest while two more covered the lower back and abs.

The third and final piece of the system was the helmet. The helmet was an open face headpiece with a slight bill that extended 2 inches past the eyes and was made of the same material as the plates. What made the helmet so impressive was the technology that was stored inside. The helmet had a built in radio so the team could communicate with one another and with Command. Link and Kafei's helmets were also equipped with laser tagging technology for calling in air strikes.

"Now this is something out of a comic book." Link had said.

LtCol. Harkan had ordered Link to begin training the men with the armor as soon as they were issued it.

Two weeks later, the armor and the physical augments would be put to the test.

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**Jungles of East Asia, 2 Weeks Later**

This was bad. Very bad. How had a force this large been assembled so quickly? How did they acquire this kind of military equipment without anyone knowing? All these questions and more ran through Andrew Kafei's mind as he led the severely out numbered team through the dense jungle foliage.

Link had just been forced to test the both the X5 armor and his body's endurance due to a well placed enemy mortar round. The X5 had lived up to its claims and taken the brunt of the explosion. But Link, even with the physical augments, still was in bad shape. At least three of his ribs were broken and he most likely had a severe concussion.

Kafei, being second in command had assumed the role of team leader for the time being. He looked back at his friend and CO. "Doc", the team medic, was helping him along but the blue eyes were still shining and he drew some comfort from that. Kafei used to be a mortar infantryman before Link convinced him to go SF. Frankly he couldn't believe Link was in one piece, let alone keeping up with the rest of the team as they ran through the jungle.

Kafei knew a lot about the New Axis. Hell, most of the missions they had been sent on in the last year had been directly related to the growing faction. He had seen organizations like them before but these guys, damn; they were years beyond anything he had ever seen before. Unlike most similar factions whose goals were military dictatorship of a small country or portion of a country, the New Axis' goals were worldwide. And, judging from the Intel they had just gathered, they might just have the resources to do it.

Kafei halted the men as they neared the edge of the wood line and looked out at the small jungle village. Their extraction zone, and the safety of home, waited on the other side.

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**Present Day, Fort Bragg, NC**

"So, what's our plan of attack?" Link voice cut through Kafei's flashback and brought him back to the present.

LtCol. Harkan waved a hand over the projected map and the image zoomed in on New York City.

"Assuming that New York is their final destination, you and your team will insert via HALO drop here." Harkan answered as he pointed at the map.

"Sir, is that…" Link began.

"Ground Zero." Harkan finished the sentence for him.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Sorry the chapter took so long to post. I'd like to address a few of the reviews I've gotten for the previous chapters, mainly regarding the presence of Gannon. I still don't know if Gannon will even make an appearance in this story. This story will remain focused on Zelda and Link. If there is an opening for Gannon then he might appear. But I wont go out of my way to make a place for him. Also regarding the New Axis, the fact is I don't plan on going into much more detail than I already have on them. This story will stretch on past the battle so in the grand scheme of thing they're not that important. Anyway have fun reading this chapter. R&R please.

**0500 New York City**

Zelda awoke with a start as her alarm clock began blaring. After hitting the snooze button 3 times she finally forced herself out of bed. She groaned as she got up and hit the off switch and headed toward the bathroom of her high-rise apartment.

She splashed some water on her face and looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Note to self: must get more than three hours of sleep." She muttered to herself.

Lately, Zelda, who was better known by her stage name Hylia, had been feeling the grind of the pop star lifestyle more than ever. With her new album set to drop in 1 month, she was juggling interviews, signings, and late night parties, planning a new tour, and putting the final touches on her new songs.

This was so much easier when she was younger. She wasn't old by any means, only 28, but still 5 years ago this was easier.

She pushed these thoughts out of her head as she stepped into the shower. She needed to focus. In 1 hour, she had to meet her manager and head out for three interviews, one signing, and one final session in the studio to finish the album. A party commemorating the completion of the album would follow soon after.

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**1450, Delta Compound, Ft. Bragg NC**

Link ran a hand through his hair, enemy planes had not stopped their advance and this mission was getting more complicated by the second. US fighters couldn't engage the enemy until they violated their airspace. Link didn't know who was in charge of these guys yet but he knew the man was smart.

This attack was meticulously planned to ensure that troops would be able to make landfall. This fact was highly disturbing to Link and his team. They had spent the last three and a half years trying to protect the civilians of this country from threats like this and now, despite their best efforts, they would be forced to fight on US soil.

But the worst part of this entire mess was that this force currently en route to NY was not the only threat. Australian SAS units had reported a large navel force amassing in the Pacific. This newly found force was, astoundingly, much greater than the force currently approaching the east coast. As such, the President had ordered the majority of US forces concentrate towards the west coast leaving only a relatively small contingent of troops to defend NYC. Believing that most of the enemy troops would be killed before they reached the US.

If the man had had any experience in the military he would have known better. But despite the advisement of top military officials, he wasn't budging on his decision on troop commitment.

But, he knew he didn't have time to dwell on the stupidity that all politicians seemed to share. He had his mission and his men were waiting for him.

Link walked quickly from the briefing room to the locker room where his men were waiting.

As he entered Kafei called the room to attention.

"At ease." Link said. "Alright men, here's the deal. Our mission is to HALO drop into New York City into Alpha Site A.K.A Ground Zero. Afterwards we are to lay low and gather Intel until Division can mobilize a strike force to drop in. Once we get the word from command we will make our way toward Central Park and mark off a DZ and use all available forces to defend it. Command has been in contact with the authorities in the city, an evacuation has been started but there's no way that eight million people can get out of there that fast."

Link took a moment to survey the room. The mood was somber to say the least. His men all had the unfamiliar look of failure on their faces.

"Hey!" Link yelled, letting his frustration seep out into his voice. "Why the hell do you all look like someone just shot your dog?"

"Sir, how many lives do you think are going to be lost today because we failed to do our job?" Doc asked.

Now Link was angry. "Alright, listen. We are not the ones to blame for this. We have been fighting for the people of this country for three and a half years. We have saved every major city in this country at least 3 times. We have saved New York even more than that. We have failed no one. No one could have anticipated this. Who ever is behind this is good. Really good. They must have been on the inside at one point. But we can't worry about that now; we need to stay focused or we will fail. Everything we've done to this point has led us here."

Link paused and looked for a moment down before continuing.

"The Col informed me that this is our last mission as an SF Unit. We've been going for three and a half years and that is well past the average lifespan of an SF unit. So this is it for us. That and there is no way that we are getting out of this any anonymity. Chances are, everyone in the country will know our faces within the next 48 hours."

Link paused and let that thought sink into his men. The looks on their faces ranged from happy to elated. Everyone in the unit, save Link, had a wife or at least a girlfriend. And while the men all loved their jobs and their brothers in arms, all of them were getting to the point in their lives where they wanted to stop playing Rambo day in and day out and start settling down.

"Now that being said, we are going to code names for this mission. Last thing we need is the press blasting our real names on every television and radio station in the country. Hooah?"

All the men answered. "Hooah sir."

Link looked at his watch. "Alright, suit up and draw weapons, ammo, and equipment. Wheels up at 1600."

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**1600 New York City**

Zelda looked out the window of the recording studio lobby and saw the Freedom Tower poking of Ground Zero some sudden movement out of the corner of her caused her to gaze down 75 stories to the ground below. Police were moving people off the street for some reason. She didn't have time to ponder the reasoning behind this because at that moment her manager yelled at her from the studio.

"Hylia, you're up. Lets get crackin."

Zelda happily complied. The recording studio was where she felt the most at home and one of the few places she could escape the life of a celebrity and just be Zelda the musician. But even as the doors of the studio closed and her headphones hummed to life she felt as if something was wrong but she couldn't put her finger on it.

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**1730 C-130 Call Sign Phoenix, 1 hour from New York City.**

"ETA 30 Mikes, Razor."

Link stirred at the mention of his codename. He looked around the Cargo hold of the Phoenix. Most of the team had used the short flight to catch a little sleep. He had tried as well but found that he couldn't. He stood up and stretched then moved around the cargo hold and awoke his team.

"Alright, sound off boys!"

One by one his men sounded off. As they did, Link remembered how they had obtained their codenames.

"Vandal" The team saboteur. Got the name after blowing up multiple enemy convoys.

"Bandit" Got his name from his uncanny ability to steal anything from the enemy.

"Radar" The tech wizard of the group. One of the world's best hackers.

"Saint" The resident holy man. Always ready with a prayer when things get tough.

"Tank" A heavy hitter. Carries the heavy weapons and one hell of a melee fighter.

"Boomer" Recruited from EOD. Likes blowing things up more than a normal person should.

"Dead Eye" Best sharpshooter in the US Army. In three and a half years, Link had never seen him miss.

"Shadow" A master at stealth and recon. The man could slip through the most sophisticated security systems in the world with ease.

"Ghost" An absolutely deadly soldier. Given the name because almost every enemy who comes in contact with him becomes a ghost.

"Doc" Default codename for combat medics. His ability to preserve life in combat is only rivaled by his ability to take it.

"Wingman" Kafei. Been Link's right hand man both in the uniform and out for over ten years. He was always an exceptional leader when Link was incapacitated.

"Razor" Link. Was given the codename for a few reasons. One was his affinity for using blades in combat. Codename became official after taking down a terrorist in Africa who used razor blade in his bombs.

"Alright get your drop gear ready. Whose play list is on this time?" He asked. One of the traditions that his unit had was to listen to a play list prior to insertion. They rotated whose play list they listened to each mission.

"Bandit!" Ghost yelled. "Put your shit on shuffle and let it rip."

Bandit hooked up his MP3 player and hit shuffle. Everyone continued putting on their gear until the first song came on.

Everyone froze as "Party in the USA" started playing. Everyone looked at Bandit who was quickly turning red.

It was Tank who broke the silence. "Hey Bandit, know how I know you're gay?"

Bandit responded by flicking Tank off. "Screw you. My daughter must have got a hold of my Ipod last night."

"And synced it? Dude, your daughters five. Better think of a better excuse." Tank shot back.

Bandit turned to Radar. "Did you show her how to do this?" he asked with a look that could kill.

Radar laughed. "Guilty."

"You are an idiot." Bandit said as he turned to his Ipod. "There's got to be a few good songs on this thing."

"Leave it on. I like this song." Shadow said.

Once again, everyone stopped what they were doing.

"You know, I kind of like it too." Boomer chimed in.

"Me too." Said Dead Eye.

Pretty soon most of the team was nodding their heads to the song as they put on their equipment. Everyone except Tank who was staring in shock at the rest of the team.

Link secured his equipment and stepped over to Tank. "Hey man, when in Rome." He said as he nodded his head slightly to the beat.

Tank smiled and shook his head. As the song ended, the men started laughing. Link laughed with his men and took solace that even in the face of great danger, his men could still laugh.

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1745 New York City

Zelda had just finished her last track for her new album but her feeling of elation was short lived as her manager tore into the studio with a look of pure fear in his eyes.

"We need to leave, NOW!"

"What's going on?" She asked. Her question was partially answered by a massive explosion that rocked the building.

"There are fighter jets fighting in the air. We need to get out of the city!" He yelled.

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**1755 C-130 Call sign Phoenix, Over New York City.**

Link bowed his head and prayed as the song "Higher Power" played throughout the cargo hold of the plane. As the song ended, he lifted his head up and looked at his men. His eyes made the shift from green hazel to deep blue.

"Masks on. Comm. check."

One by one his men snapped on their oxygen masks and checked their comms.

As the cargo bay door opened, the pilots voiced crackled in his ear.

"Be advised Razor, friendly fighters have engaged enemy fighters over the DZ. Watch yourself on the way down."

"Roger. Play us off."

"Affirmative." The pilot answered as "Jump" began playing.

Link and his men moved toward the edge of the ramp. When the green light flashed on, him and his men leapt out of the plane and, for some odd reason, had a good feeling about this mission.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Sorry this took so long to post I had MAJOR writers block with this chapter. And I was recovering from an injury as well. Hope you like this chapter. R&R please, it keeps me goin.**

**1800 New York City**

Zelda ran down her 35th flight of stairs. Shortly after her manager rushed her out of the studio, debris from the dogfights going on above had begun crashing into the building, forcing her, her manager and two bodyguards to utilize the stairs. She had quickly found out that running down 75 flights of stairs was more challenging than she had thought it would be. Already she could feel blisters forming on her feet and the muscles in her legs were starting to give and she still had 40 floors to go.

**1820 Ground Zero**

Link surveyed his men. The jump had gone smoothly for the most part. Saint had bounced off the side of the Freedom Tower while avoiding falling debris from the dogfights and had successfully dislocated his shoulder. Doc had relocated it but had told Link he would need to look at it closer later but for now, he was able to fight and with all the enemy foot mobiles running around, they were going need that.

"Alright, lets move, staggered column. Stay in the shadows as much as possible and only open fire on my command." Link said as Boomer finished placing an explosive charge on their drop equipment. It was cumbersome and it wasn't of any use them anymore as it was, but a large explosion could divert their enemies long enough for them to disappear into the labyrinth that was New York City.

Link and his men ran down the nearest alley and heard their drop equipment explode in the distance.

**1830 New York City**

Zelda, her manager, and bodyguards finally made out of the stairwell and were on their way through the lobby towards a waiting SUV. Zelda was fighting to stay moving, her legs were on fire and she was sure her feet were bleeding but she knew she had to keep moving.

As they left the lobby, one of the bodyguards opened the door of the SUV. Suddenly Zelda heard shouting in a foreign language. She watched in horror as her manager looked towards the three men who had yelled at them and was mercilessly gunned down.

Her bodyguards pushed her into the SUV and told the driver to go; unfortunately the three foreign combatants saw what they were trying to do, and opened fire on the vehicle and the bodyguards extinguishing their lives in seconds.

Zelda was frozen in fear praying to whatever god would listen to spare her life. Two hands reached in and roughly pulled her out of the car and threw her to the ground. She looked up at her captors. They were laughing at her and kicking the dead bodies of her friends. One of them pulled her off the ground and Zelda fought back. She punched one of them in the face. In hindsight, it wasn't a good idea. He responded by punching her hard in the gut, another one backhanded her across the face so hard that her vision blurred. She fell to the ground and began to lose consciousness. As she slipped into darkness she heard three high-pitched thumps. She saw the bodies of the three enemy soldiers hit the ground around her.

She felt a pair of strong arms turn her over and pick her up she gazed into two gentle, but intense, light blue eyes belonging to a man in gray armor.

"My name is Razor," He said "you're going to be ok."

That was the last thing she heard before she passed out

**1830 New York City**

Link led his men from alley to alley with inhuman swiftness. So far, they hadn't encountered anyone enemy or friendly. This pleased Link greatly, maybe more people had gotten out of the city than they had originally thought.

They turned down another alley between two buildings that led to a normally bustling city street. Link held up his fist and his men stopped and leaned against the walls of the building and pulled security.

Kafei leaned against the wall opposite Link and looked down one side of the street while Link looked down the other.

"Clear, right side." Kafei said.

Link looked through the scope on his M4.

"Movement left. 4 foot mobiles, one vehicle with driver." He said.

"Enemies?" Kafei asked, his rifle still trained on the left side of the street.

"Negative, looks like civilians. They're in a hurry too… Wait. Three tangos approaching from the south."

"Should we take them out?"

"Can't get a shot, and we can't risk revealing our presence."

Kafei nodded and kept pulling security. He knew that the fleeing civilians would most likely be killed but their mission was more important than 5 civilian lives. He had known Link for years and knew that while Link cherished life, he was also a cold efficient killing machine during missions. If he had to watch these civilians die in order to complete this mission, he would.

Kafei heard shots ring out and panicked cries. He said a silent prayer for the civilians who he knew had just died.

Link continued to look down his scope. He couldn't get a shot and 4 people had just died because of it. He saw a lot of movement by the vehicle. Perhaps the 5th person was still alive.

Link watched as a woman was pulled from the vehicle. As soon as he saw her, he felt something change. He wasn't sure what but for some reason that he couldn't quite explain, he knew he had to save her.

Kafei watched as Link's eyes changed color once again to a lighter shade of blue.

"Razor, what the hell…" Kafei didn't get the chance to finish the question before Link shouldered his rifle, pulled out his pistol, and tore towards the enemies.

Link moved as fast as he could across the street towards the enemy foot mobiles and the mysterious girl. He lifted his silenced pistol and fired three rounds, all headshots. When he arrived at her side he cursed himself for not reacting sooner. She had fought back to no avail and now she was lying in a heap on the ground. He slowly turned her over. Link was shocked to realize who the woman was. 'Definitely wasn't expecting to find a pop star' He thought. She looked into his eyes and he could tell she was about to pass out.

"My name is Razor," He said. "You're going to be ok."

As soon as the words left his mouth, she lost consciousness.

"Damn. Team, move in." He ordered as he gently picked her up off the ground and moved to cover.

Kafei and the rest of the team moved quickly to his position.

"Grab the civie's bodies and put them in the building. Pile the tangos into the SUV and blow it."

The men silently and swiftly followed his orders. "Doc, get over here." He yelled. Doc arrived at his side and looked at the unconscious girls in Link's arms.

"She took a couple of hits then she passed out." He said as Doc started examining her head and neck.

"No neck damage. She may have a concussion though." He said.

Kafei arrived a few seconds later. "Charges set. Waiting for your order Razor."

Link nodded and picked the mysterious girl off the ground once again. "Alright, Kafei take point. We're taking her with us."

The team gave Link a look of confusion. "Are you sure that's good idea sir?" Kafei asked.

"We need someone who knows the city. She could be useful." Link responded.

Kafei stepped closer to Link and spoke so only he could hear. "Link, this is crazy. Do you know who this woman is? We can't take such a high profile civilian with us. What's gotten into you?"

"I can't explain this right now Kafei. You're just going to have to trust me on this one. But we are NOT leaving her."

Kafei nodded and turned to the men. "You heard him guys. Lets move."

Saint smiled. "Looks like the Captain finally picked up a stray."

Link had a pretty stringent policy of leaving your personal feelings off the battlefield. But even still, everyone on the team had "picked up a stray" at some point whether it be an injured child or an informant. The practice of taking a civilian off the battlefield was extremely dangerous and seriously compromised the mission. Yet, time and time again Link had found himself allowing his men to do it at one point or another. Even he had to admit though that he picked a hell of a time to save a civilian.

Kafei took point and the men ran down another alley. Link stayed neared the middle carrying his stray. After running about seventeen blocks, he signaled Kafei in an alley next to a hotel. Kafei nodded and halted the men. Shadow moved to a side door and had the lock picked in a few seconds.

"You know, the fact that you are able to do that so easily is slightly unsettling." Dead Eye said as Bandit and Vandal ran in and secured the hallway.

"See if you can find a basement." Link ordered as he walked in with Dead Eye. Dead Eye had his pistol at the ready covering Link.

"Razor, you know your eyes changed color again?" He asked.

Link looked at Dead Eye. "Really? What color are they now?" He asked.

"Really light blue dude. Like a blind eye on a dog or one of those Underworld vampires." He answered.

"Well, as long as I don't look like one of those fruity Twilight vampires we're good." He said with a smile.

Dead Eye laughed and started back down the hallway. "Hey man, you never know, your girl there might be into that."

"That's not why she's with us." Link responded, a note of irritation in his voice.

"I know, I'm just giving you shit. But seriously, you picked a weird one. Look at what she's wearing."

Link couldn't argue with that point. The girl was wearing some odd skimpy outfit. And while Link wasn't a follower of pop culture, even he had heard of Hylia's reputation as a crazy individual.

"We found the basement. All clear Sir." Kafei reported.

"On The way." Link said.

When Link arrived in the basement, He saw that the men had already setting up their CP. Radar had all ready started setting up comms and surveillance, and Doc had set up a make shift combat med center in a room.

Kafei walked up to Link. "Nice choice for a CP. Vandal and Shadow are securing avenues of approach. Boomer and Tank are looking for food in the kitchen. With any luck we won't have to break out the MREs"

Link nodded and walked to the room where Doc was taking a second look at Saint's shoulder.

"How we doin' Doc?" Link asked as he laid Zelda down on an old mattress Doc had placed on the floor.

"Looks good Razor. A little swelling but I asked Tank to grab some ice while he raids the kitchen." Doc answered as he moved to attend to Zelda.

"Give me some credit Sir, It'll take more than a skyscraper to take me out of the fight." Saint said with a smile as he left the room.

"Sir, we're going to have to wake her up." Doc said.

Link nodded. "Alright, stand back, I have a feeling she's not going to be too happy when she wakes up."

Link took off his helmet, cradled Zelda's head in his arm and opened his canteen. He poured some water on his hand and sprinkled it on her face. After a few seconds of this and some gentle shaking, Zelda started to wake up.

The first thing Zelda felt when she woke up was pain. Her whole body ached and her head was killing her. The second thing she felt was fear. When she opened her eyes and saw two men in strange armor in a small room, she freaked out and screamed at the top of her lungs.

Link clasped his hand over her mouth and restrained her.

Zelda fought with all her might against the man who was holding her. He had one hand over her mouth and his other arm wrapped around her chest and arms holding her back to his chest. The man's arms were like iron bars. Frustrated tears started to form on her eyes.

Link held Zelda tight and spoke into her ear. "Calm down! We're not going to hurt you we're American soldiers."

Zelda calmed down almost immediately. Not so much from what was said, but from the voice that said it. She recognized it as the voice of the strange man that had saved her earlier.

Link spoke again as Zelda calmed down. "You need to stay quiet. I'm going to let you go now so Doc can take a look at you, OK?"

Zelda nodded and Link released his hold on her. She turned around to look at the man who had saved her earlier. The first thing she noticed was his eyes. They were still the same unnatural blue. His hair was short and blonde and he had a handsome face. Zelda couldn't help but find him attractive.

"Who are you people?" She asked.

Link half smiled. "We're the good guys."


End file.
